Spray can holder



June 19, 1962 J. A. MEUWLY SPRAY CAN HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1960 a m \V/ wfl fl lll llliwl m 1m fi w E A 1 a w? M i M Q w w A w w M w m w x m 3,039,657 SPRAY CAN HOLDER James A. Meuwly, 1901 E. 15th St., Little Rock, Ark. Filed Jan. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 4,992 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-474) This invention relates to supports and more particularly to special purpose supports.

An object of the invention is to provide a support to retain a pressure dispensing container at an elevated position so that the contents or a portion of the contents of the container may be discharged at a position remote from the operator.

Briefly, the invention is embodied in a special handle equipped with what are considered to be unique means for supporting various manufacturers makes and sizes of pressure containers at a high position. An important feature of the invention is found in the adaptability of the can supporting means on the post to hold various styles and sizes of cans in an operative, elevated position at which the valve constituting part of the pressure container, is exposed for actuation.

The valve actuating device which constitutes a part of the invention is made of exceedingly simple construction, consisting preferably of a single leave spring at the top of the post which is pulled, for instance by a string or rope against the yielding opposition inherent in the leaf spring. When pulled in a proper direction the leaf spring contacts the depression member of the valve mechanism, causing the valve of the mechanism to open whereby a portion of the contents of the container is discharged.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide a unique, structurally improved and mechanically simplified pressure container support which may be made very light in weight and at a low unit cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the pressure container holder or support, the handle and operating cord being only fragmentarily shown.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the holder in FIGURE 1 and showing one particular type of pressure container in place.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URE 2 but showing the suggested use of the holder when a different type of container is supported therein.

FIGURE 4 is a top View of the holder in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

In the accompanying drawings the holder 10 is used as an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The holder is made of a handle 12 having a hollow tubular upper part or section 14 and a solid lower part 16, although the lower part may also be made of hollow tubular construction, for example, aluminum or other lightweight metal from which the upper section 14 is constructed.

The upper end of section 14 is equipped with a valve operating device 18. The device preferably consists of a single leaf spring or resilient lever 20 which has a U-shaped or reversely bent end 22 with one side 24 thereof passed through a transverse slot 26 at the upper extremity of section '14. Side 24 is held in slot 26 by friction between side 24 and the Walls of slot 26. The opposite end of the leaf spring 21) has an opening 28 therein through which an operating string, cord, rope, etc., 30 is passed. The cord 30 is held in place by any suitable fastening expedient, for instance by having one end knotted as at 32 with a knot of a larger diameter than the opening 28. Handle 12 and operating cord 30 are of indefinite length. Four spaced flutes 34 are formed in the edges of leaf spring 20 to rigidify the section 36 of the leaf spring. The flutes, being spaced, form a downwardly opening pocket 38 (FIGURE 2) to receive valve mechanism 40 of a conventional pressurized spray can or container 42. The pressure container may contain any substance, for instance insecticide.

Section 14 has means connected therewith for mechanically clamping pressure container 42 in place thereon and near the top part of the section 14. These means consist of a flange 44 struck from and protruding laterally from one side of section v14. The flange is in the form of a lip, and since it is struck from the material of section 12 it leaves a notch or opening 46 in handle section 12 which is directly laterally opposed to the inner surface of the flange 44. Those containers 42 which have a circumferential flange or bead 50 near the top thereof are ideally suited for retention by flange 42 since a part of flange 50 will seat in notch 46 and on the lower wall or edge 52 thereof. Consequently, the flange and notch function as a clamp for the upper part of container 42.

The lower part of container 42 is disposed on a resilient rest 56, and the rest 56 also exerts a clamping action on the container. The illustrated container has a lower circumferential flange or bead 58, and it fits within a. notch or opening 60 formed in section 14 on the same side thereof as notch 46. Notch 60 is duplicated along the length of section 14 so that containers of different lengths may be accommodated using the same clamp formed of flange 44 and notch 46.

The lower clamp made by rest 56 is further composed of a substantially U-shaped resilient bracket or spring 62 having sides or legs 64 and 66 connected by a curved member 68. Side 66 is the lower side of the clamp, and

it is passed through a transverse slot 70 similar to slot 26 and formed in section 14. The upper side 64 of rest 56 has an upstanding tongue 72 struck therefrom, and it forms an abutment (FIGURES 5 and 6) against which circular flange 58 bears, while the remainder of the side 64 immediately adjacent to tongue 72 is disposed in notch 60. The inherent resilience of clamp 57 is in a direction to constantly yieldingly press side 64 upwardly against the bottom portion of container 42 and thereby exert a clamping action thereon.

Attention is invited to FIGURE 3 which illustrates the versatility of holder 10. Flange 45 and notch 47 which are identical to flange 44 and notch 46, are formed on the side of section 14 opposite to the side having flange 44 and notch 46. The reason is that certain manufacturers, styles and sizes of pressure containers 43 have longer upper sections which would require them to be attached lower on section 14. In use of the holder as shown in FIGURE 3, leaf spring 20 is removed from slot 26, turned and reattached to section 14 thereby positioning it on the opposite side of section 14 from that side shown in FIGURE 2. The lower flange 45 is used, and the selected slot 76, from the group thereof, which suits the height of pressure container 43 is used for rest 56.

In use of the invention, the pressure container is attached to section 14, and the handle 12 is elevated. A mere pull on cord 30 causes leaf spring 20 to deflect at the U-shaped end thereof and press downwardly on the valve mechanism of the pressure container. The valve mechanism, being conventional, opens in response to depressing the same, whereby a charge of the contents of the pressure container 42 or 43 is emitted.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A holder for a pressure container of the type having a discharge valve mechanism, said holder comprising an elongated handle having an upper section, means struck from said upper section to engage an upper portion of a pressure container, means forming a rest and engaging the lower portion of the pressure container connected with said upper section of said handle, and resilient means connected with said upper section and manually operable from the lower end of the handle for operating the valve mechanism of the pressure container, said resilient means comprising a leaf spring, said upper section having a slot, said leaf spring having an inner end portion separably engaged in said slot, said means forming a rest including an essentially U-shaped resilient member engageable under tension beneath the container, and said upper section having means along the length thereof for retention of said member in selected positions to accommodate different lengths of pressure containers, means along the length of said upper section including slots, one end portion of said essentially U-shaped member engaged in a selected slot, and the opposite side of said essentially U-shaped member forming a seat on which the lower portion of a pressure container is adapted to bear.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein there is a notch in said upper section adjacent to each of the last mentioned slots and within which a portion of said upper side of said essentially U-shaped member is adapted to be disposed.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein there is an upstanding stop on the free end of said upper side of the U-shaped member against which an edge portion of the container is adapted to bear.

4. A holder for a pressurized, valve-controlled spray can of the type having beads on its end portions, said holder comprising an elongated handle having longitudinally spaced upper and lower openings therein for receiving the beads and further having a slot therein below the lower opening, a lip on the handle engageable by the can for retaining the top bead thereof in the upper opening, and a resilient, generally U-shaped bracket mounted on the handle for supporting the can, one leg of said bracket being engaged in the slot for mounting the bracket on the handle, the other leg of said bracket being operable in the lower opening and engaged under tension beneath the can for yieldingly engaging said can with the lip.

5. A holder in accordance with claim 4, said handle being tubular and cylindrical and diametrically receiving said one bracket leg, said other bracket leg comprising on its free end portion an upturned stop for the can.

6. A holder for pressurized spray cans of the type including a discharge control valve, said holder comprising an elongated tubular handle having in one end and on diametrically opposite sides thereof a pair of circumferential slots, means on the handle below the slots for mounting a spray can selectively on said diametrically opposite sides of said handle, and reversible means mounted on the handle in the slots for actuating the valve mechanism of a spray can in either position on said handle, the last-named means comprising a resilient lever traversing said one end of the handle and including a reversely bent inner end portion slidably engageable in the slots from opposite directions.

7. A holder in accordance with claim 6, wherein said last-named means further comprises an operating cord connected to the free end of the lever for actuating same from the other end of the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,144 Bond Mar. 19, 1901 2,017,245 Hertzberg Oct. 15, 1935 2,294,006 Thorsheim Aug. 25, 1942 2,499,672 Nurkiewicz Mar. 7, 1950 2,558,272 Rubenstein et al June 21, 1951 2,787,501 Tuma Apr. 2, 1957 2,806,638 Ziherl et al. Sept. 17, 1957 2,953,283 Palkowski Sept. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 46,087 Norway Feb. 4, 1929 

